Tag: Millennials

The Weekend Five: Profile Pictures That Every Guy Has Posted

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funny-pictures-selfie-dog-no-filter-makeupA few months back, in honor of my social media addiction, I wrote a little piece about the five profile pictures that every girl has posted, at one point or another, on Facebook. Because I believe in equal opportunity for the genders, I felt that it was high time to poke fun at the males this week! Guys, we know you are all special and unique, but much like the ladies, you too are guilty of falling into predictable social media patterns. 🙂

This week, we’ll explore five of the most popular types of Facebook profile pictures that most of the guys on your friend list have uploaded.

The Weekend Five: Profile Pictures That Every Guy Has Posted

1. Group Photo With All Friends Still Intact.
Unlike the ladies, who tend to crop all of their friends out of group photos, guys are likely to post these pictures to their page as they were taken, no edits. This can prove especially confusing on mobile and online dating profiles, as visitors to those pages may wonder which guy in the picture is actually the man in question, but for Facebook, it makes sense:  guys can assume that their social media contacts will be able to distinguish which person is them!

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2. The Goofy Picture.
Again, unlike many of the young women who use social media, guys aren’t afraid to post a less-than-perfect picture of themselves that shows their sense of humor. This picture is posted without regard for angles or any other artistic properties, and is meant to make you laugh.

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meet-someone-profile-pictures-century-flirting-ecards-someecards3. The Slightly Dressier, More Grown Up Picture.
There’s always one picture of the guy in a suit, at a fancy dinner, in graduation garb or (in true throwback style) on his prom night.

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4. The Significant Other.
From my observations, guys post fewer of these pictures than girls do, but these pictures do pop up from time to time so that the subjects can prove that they are not #foreveralone.

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5. The Picture That Isn’t Him.
Usually, these are memes that fit his sense of humor, but they can also include images related to his favorite sports team or stills from a sci-fi movie or video game that he loves. For many girls, this is a waste of prime real estate, but for the majority of guys, it isn’t that big of a deal. Personally, I have to take a selfie to make up for this every time I see one of these, but that’s just me. 🙂 (Kidding, by the way!)

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Depending on the guy, you may find other types of profile pictures: action shots playing sports, flexing photos at the gym, artsy pictures with crazy Instagram filters… the list goes on. What are your favorite categories?

The Post-Weekend Five: Over-Done Story Topics to Get Readers Talking

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DvCfT7average-millennial-attention-praise-new-birthday-ecards-someecardsEvery day, I come across some fascinating stories across the Internet. Of course, sprinkled in between these articles and how-to guides are a few not-so-original pieces, ones that I’m convinced I’ve read elsewhere with slightly different wording. Somehow, even though these articles are basically repurposed versions of other articles, certain topics still manage to grab the attention of many readers and strike up a lively debate.

Now, most writers are guilty of falling into this pattern once in a while without realizing it, but some stories just won’t go away. This week, we’ll go into some of the latest of those over-done story topics that will nevertheless get your readers talking, whether the articles reveal any new information or not! (Keep in mind, this was all written in good fun. 🙂 )

The Post-Weekend Five: Over-Done Story Topics to Get Readers Talking

how-to-annoy-millennial1. Millennials and everything they have ever done wrong.
For about five years now, I have been reading articles about the millennial generation (mainly people in their teens, twenties and early thirties, depending on your preferred generational cut-off) and their sense of entitlement, lack of work ethic and inability to become functioning, well-adjusted adults. Many of these articles throw in the argument that, while growing up, millennials were rewarded for “participation” and not achievement, and that this has had a profoundly negative effect on their overall development. The articles also discuss the fact that many of these millennials were also encouraged that, with hard work, they could achieve their dreams, no matter how far-reaching. I have a lot of opinions about both the internal and external factors that have shaped my generation, but nothing that hasn’t been said before. Somehow, people (especially those older than the millennials) still love to harp on this topic, so it comes up frequently online and in publications, usually stating the same thing as the last article.

2. Selfie culture.
This often goes hand-in-hand with the millennial stories, but people not of the younger generation are fascinated by the concept of selfies. I never noticed this before until people began to question me (a 23-year-old who is embarrassingly guilty of taking these pictures) about the trend and genuinely wanted to know about it. Articles pop up all the time about plastic surgeons who have perfected surgeries for the optimal selfie, step-by-step lists on how to take the right selfie for Instagram, how selfies represent the decline of the younger generations and everything wrong with American culture as a whole… Okay, I may be exaggerating there, but you get the point! At the rate we are going, there will soon be more selfie-related articles than actual selfies. (Just give it a few years for this fad to wear out.)

large3. Jennifer Lawrence.
Jennifer Lawrence is a talented actress with a bright future ahead of her, but most Jennifer Lawrence-related articles have nothing to do with the actress’ projects and everything to do with how “relatable” and “down-to-earth” she is. In the past few years, Jennifer Lawrence memes have gone viral across the web, mainly consisting of the Hunger Games star making silly faces or saying inappropriate things. (As a public relations professional, I truly believe that many of J. Law’s red carpet blunders and crazy quotes are just as encouraged by her handlers as the next perfectly-curated celebrity… but I digress.) While I admire Jennifer Lawrence’s skills and success in Hollywood, I also think we have seen enough “look at this adorable thing Jennifer Lawrence did” articles to last a lifetime.

I+LOVE+THE+90S+T+SHIRT+WHITE4. The 90s.
Don’t get me wrong, the 90s were great! I was born in 1990, so of course the thoughts of Tamogatchi, butterfly clips and Hey Arnold! bring me plenty of nostalgia. I am certainly a child of the 90s and proud of it. But I also see the same 90s pop culture articles several times each month, commemorating the same exact mementos of that time period. I have never seen a decade more adored on the Internet. (Perhaps this has something to do with those dang millennials!) Instead of constantly posting lists that mourn our childhood, let’s look to the future!

5. Ryan Gosling.
Just kidding. There can never be enough Ryan Gosling.

What topics do you think have been overdone?

The Weekend Five: Things Young Professionals Like

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too-busy-people-workplace-ecard-someecardsEver since I graduated from college and entered the corporate world, I have noticed some of the behaviors found in young professionals, and have adopted a few of them myself! The transition has definitely been an interesting one, not without its office clichés and millennial stereotypes, but I love having a big girl job and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

This week, we’ll take a few minutes to make fun of those clichés and laugh at ourselves along the way! Are you guilty of any of these?

The Weekend Five: Things Young Professionals Like

1. Hosting and attending meetings.
We have meetings. Then we have meetings to plan other meetings. We really love meeting with the same people several times per week to discuss strategy and our need to meet about other topics. The more meetings, the merrier!

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1332444063157_93352792. Using corporate buzzwords.
I’m not sure what class everyone else took in college that taught them to slip words like “synergy,” “leverage” and “paradigm” so easily in a sentence, but I clearly slept through that one. I am always amazed at the ability of many young professionals to use such important-sounding words at the drop of a hat, or their need to include some of this trendy vocabulary in place of a more direct word or two. Are you a young professional who wants to get a point across? Then business jargon is clearly the way to go!

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3. Networking.
This is a favorite hobby among many of the young working men and women in the bigger cities across our country. We love to network, and because of this, many events are prefaced with a networking cocktail hour or other opportunity to exchange business cards. We may never speak again, but at least we will add each other on LinkedIn and occasionally acknowledge each other via other social media.

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images4. Updating their social media profiles with everything relevant they have ever done.
Do you have a Twitter account? If so, it had better only focus on content related to your career of choice! Your LinkedIn profile should constantly be updated with industry-specific buzzwords (see #2), and your sole focus online should be the (ever so vague) concept of branding yourself. Because you are only in your twenties or thirties, it is likely that you are not yet an expert in your field, but your social media profiles should suggest otherwise.

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5. Talking about wine.
Among young professionals, wine is generally the drink of choice, and this is the time when everyone thinks they are a sommelier. Everyone has a very strong opinion, and it is generally a very classy one. Sadly, I missed the boat on sophisticated wine choices — as long as it is sweet and/or has the picture of a little German man on the bottle, I am a happy camper! 🙂

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What are some of the trends that you’ve noticed among yourself, friends or other young people in the workforce?

The Post-Weekend Five: Honest Relationship Statuses for Facebook

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67469ce10f5ca882f88785d3642bb181Let’s face it – social media has a huge effect on how we talk about relationships. In today’s world, when a friend tells us about her latest love interest, we are quick to ask if and when they made things “Facebook official.” (Because obviously a relationship is not truly official until it has been declared so on Facebook!) However, when it comes to our real-life relationship statuses, there are shades of gray that cannot fit into the neat little single/in-a-relationship/married/divorced/domestic-partnership box that Facebook provides for us. Sometimes, life is a little messy, and while we may have a special someone on our minds, we may not be ready to classify it as a traditional relationship. (What is traditional, anyway?) This week, I present to you a list of honest relationship statuses that Facebook should enable to make the selection process a little easier when “it’s complicated” doesn’t even begin to cover it!

The Post-Weekend Five: Honest Relationship Statuses for Facebook

1. Talking.
I’m still not completely sure what it means to be “talking” to someone, other than having a spoken conversation, but among many teens and twenty-somethings, “talking” is all the rage. “He’s cute,” a friend might say in relation to a guy whose picture you showed her on your phone. “Are you guys together?” You smile and shrug. “We’ve been talking,” you reply, as if that answers everything. Readers, I can’t even begin to tell you how many times a friend told me that he or she was “talking” to someone. Obviously, talking isn’t serious enough to deem a full-fledged relationship, but at the same time, it implies at least some semblance of exclusivity and seriousness about the other person. Therefore, it should require its own status on Facebook!

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4dWzLh12. In a Platonic Relationship.
You and X are not actually dating, per se, but to everyone else, it certainly seems that way. You’re his date to every social event, you talk about yourselves in first-person plural (“thank you so much for inviting us,” “we were so happy you could make it,” “we LOVE the tortellini alfredo here”), you share desserts and you finish each other’s sentences. No one will bother to date either of you because: a) everyone is threatened by the friendship and afraid that it would affect a potential relationship, and b) the two of you are shaping up to be the greatest “will-they-won’t-they” story of all time. Even if you aren’t interested in one another, which is likely the case (these things tend to be one-sided, anyway), you might as well acknowledge the platonic relationship online.

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3. Hung Up On My Ex.
If you fit this description, you’re probably listed as “single” on Facebook (or you’ve elected not to include a relationship status at all), but “single” doesn’t really describe how you feel. You picture single people enjoying nights out at bars, dancing on tables and leaving their phone numbers scribbled on napkins. You hear single people claiming that they hate to be tied down, that they’re just down for a good time. But that doesn’t accurately describe you. You feel alone, and every movie, news article and billboard you see reminds you of your recent breakup. You aren’t ready to wear your singlehood proudly just yet. You may be technically single, but you are Hung Up On Your Ex, and that is a different breed of single altogether.

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tumblr_m9q9kmQVeh1qkpo94o1_5004. Emotionally Damaged.
You aren’t hung up on your ex, but the relationship was so dysfunctional that you have no plans to enter another relationship for a long time. Anyone who mentions “Valentine’s Day” to you clearly has a death wish.

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5. I Love My Pets.
You want to find a meaningful relationship someday, but right now, you’re perfectly happy snuggling with your cat or dog instead.

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What are some honest relationship statuses you would want to see?

Link Love Wednesday: Let The Holiday Cheer Begin!

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know-secret-santa-anything-christmas-ecard-someecards_largeCan you believe that we’re already in the thick of December? On Saturday, I tuned in to ESPN to watch my university’s football team battle it out amidst an ice storm in Texas, and found it crazy to think that winter is quickly approaching (even if winter merely consists of cold fronts where I live). With Christmas and the New Year looming dangerously ahead, it’s time to break out some of the holiday link love!

Link Love Wednesday: From Goosebumps to Mr. Darcy to Miley

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GoosebumpsHope everyone is having a beautiful week and a lovely October – I know I am! With the fall now here and the weather finally beginning to cool down, it’s time to lounge outside on the porch and check out some of the latest interesting links to hit the web. Enjoy!

What are some of the interesting articles you’ve picked up this week?

Link Love Wednesday: Millennials vs. Baby Boomers

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iphone-5-apple-generations-sympathy-ecards-someecardsWhat do you get when you take a very full work calendar, a birthday and a series of federal and religious holidays? A blogger who forgets to post Link Love for a few weeks! 🙂 Hopefully today’s round-up of posts about topics ranging from Generation Y to jet lag won’t disappoint.

Read anything interesting lately?

Link Love Wednesday: 20 Before August Edition

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Millennial_mainHappy Wednesday! Can you believe it is almost August?

This feature, Link Love Wednesday, was postponed after a series of difficult Wednesdays throughout June and July. However, this week, I wanted to share a few interesting articles I found – especially pertaining to our age group of twenty-somethings!

  • This list of 21 Secrets for Your 20s is fun, practical and easy to relate to your own life. The blog post even inspired a book!
  • Thought Catalog posted a list of superpowers that 20-somethings don’t actually have. If you’re part of this age group, you will probably laugh your way through it, as many of these will apply to you or your friends.
  • Where would we be without one more article about millennials? This article talks about the things that millennials just don’t get. What are your thoughts? (Personally, I can’t stand all the negative commentary that people have about our generation – I think some of it is blown way out of proportion or incredibly misguided! I also think that a lot of this article would pertain more to someone starting out in a new job, rather than specifically to all young people.)
  • Take this quiz to find out if you can tell the difference between quotes from The Bachelorette and Taylor Swift lyrics! (I am proud to say that I earned 100 percent on this one!)
  • Check out the cast of Edward Scissorhands, then and now. The movie (one of my favorites) came out the same year I was born, so it is interesting to see how much has changed since then for many of these actors and actresses!
  • Flavorwire recounts several children’s book film series that failed to become the next Harry Potter franchise. (I was a huge fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events, by the way!)
  • There is a Twitter-themed hotel in Spain, where you can flirt and interact with other guests by tweet and hashtag. Personally, I would prefer if a guy actually walked up to me instead of just mentioning me through social media, but to each their own!

What are some of the interesting articles you came across this week?

The Weekend Five: Small Tips For Being Slightly Classier and More Grown Up

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No matter where we turn, we are constantly bombarded with new articles about why our generation (mainly teens and twenty-somethings) is lazy, unappreciative, self-centered and the worst thing to ever happen to society. Of course, at 21 years old, I completely resent and disagree with many of these accusations, but I will be the first to admit that (much like the youth of each generation before us), we are known to make mistakes and represent ourselves in a negative way.

As we graduate from college, look for jobs and are released into the Real World, what defines our ascendance into adulthood? I believe in the importance of transitions, which is why I suggest a few little nuggets of advice for being slightly more grown up while you’re still young. I am no Emily Post, so feel free to add your own tips in the comments below!

The Weekend Five: Small Tips For Being Slightly Classier and More Grown Up

1. Don’t put anything on the Internet that you wouldn’t want to resurface if you were running for public office.
Similarly, if you wouldn’t want your employer or your family members to see it, then don’t take a picture or video of it. Obviously, the best way to avoid this is to not to do stupid things, but the next best option is to keep it off of your Facebook (or Myspace, if you still live in 2005). Let’s be honest – nobody is judging you for having a social life, but there are still some things that you should keep to yourself, especially in this social media-obsessed world. Not only can sharing the bad things paint you in a bad light, but it can also keep you from getting certain jobs and coveted positions later on.

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2. Read something other than just Fifty Shades of Grey.
By all means, don’t be afraid to indulge in a little E.L. James here and there if that’s what you’re into, but try to be somewhat familiar with some of the classics as well. You don’t have to deconstruct anything the way you did in high school and college literature classes, but it’s a good idea to have a basic framework for some of the stories people are still talking about today. Not only does it make you sound older, but it also makes you sound a little more scholarly and well-read!

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3. Be a gracious house guest.
Don’t be the one friend who shows up to every social gathering empty-handed. Even if all you were able to bring were break-and-bake cookies, the thought will be appreciated and possibly reciprocated in the future.

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4. Thank you notes are a must.
A handwritten thank you note can go a long way. Whether my friend bought me a birthday present or I was just interviewed for a position I wanted, I always make sure to send something to let others know that I recognize the things they do for me and that I appreciate them. Everyone likes to be appreciated, so why not go the extra mile?

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5. Know when to share your opinion.
It’s always good to be able to have a frank discussion with someone about a controversial issue, and to be able to communicate freely. However, sometimes it’s better to sit back and avoid expressing your opinion, especially if it’s going to lead to more conflict than it is worth. One mark of maturity is being able to let go of your own pride to avoid letting an argument get out of hand — in other words, agreeing to disagree. After all, if you and a friend have two strong but very opposite viewpoints about a specific topic, you probably aren’t going to change each other’s minds no matter how much you duke it out, so why not enjoy the other person’s company instead?

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What are some tips you have for being classier and more grown up?